The Picotest Component Test Fixture (CTF) is a precision, 2-port shunt-through fixture engineered for accurate and repeatable impedance and S-parameter measurements of surface-mount components up to 3 GHz. Designed to integrate seamlessly with any VNA—especially the OMICRON Lab Bode 100/500 or Keysight E5061B —the CTF simplifies calibration, improves repeatability, adds DC bias, and ensures measurement results you can trust. Provided the VNA supports it, both impedance and full 2-port calibration are supported by the CTF.
 
Each CTF kit comes fully equipped for immediate use:
Personality module matched to the supplied mounting board size
Baseboard with built in ground loop isolation transformers
DC Bias module for capacitor measurements from –75 VDC to +75 VDC
High‑quality coaxial cables and connector wrenches
Calibration and blank test boards for straightforward SOL calibration and accurate de‑embedding
Mounted components for setup verification and confidence building
 
With these elements, the CTF is delivered as a fully integrated, ready‑to‑use fixture—streamlined for accuracy, repeatability, and ease of measurement.
 
Each fixture is supplied with dedicated calibration and blank test boards, enabling straightforward SOL calibration and accurate de-embedding. Mounted components are also included for setup verification and confidence building. Components are easily mounted on the test board and placed into the fixture, where precision pogo pins provide a stable, low-inductance, and repeatable connection to the VNA. The result is a controlled, reliable test interface with minimal residual error, preserving the accuracy of your measurement instrument.
 
The CTF accommodates a wide range of SMD package sizes from 0201 to 1206 with optional custom boards for non-standard, reverse-aspect, or X2Y formats. The mechanical design offers exceptional usability and repeatability, ensuring consistent DUT placement and secure contact for every measurement.
 
Better models. Better simulations. Better hardware.
Whether characterizing capacitors, inductors, resistors, or ferrite beads, the CTF delivers high-fidelity data ideal for SPICE model generation, PDN impedance modeling, and simulation validation. Accurate component models lead to better simulations—and better hardware correlation.
The CTF provides the most accurate and streamlined impedance-measurement solution available for Bode Analyzer users, making it an essential tool for any engineer developing, generating simulation models, and validating high-performance power distribution networks.
 
The CTF enables you to:
• Perform an OPEN using the PCB without a component installed
• Perform a LOAD using the fixture (i.e. PCB) with a 49.9 Ohm resistor installed
• Perform a SHORT using an ISO-SHORT calibration fixture the same size as the component fixture. This shorts each port to itself and connects the grounds together
 
What’s included
One (1) Component Test Fixture
One (1) SMA torque wrench
One (1) N torque wrench
Known DUT kit: One (1) 1.2nH Inductor, One (1) 50 mOhm DUT, One (1) 1 mOhm DUT, One (1) Ceramic Capacitor
Impedance calibration kit: Three (3) calibration boards – to be used with Bode 100/500
2-port calibration kit: Three (3) calibration boards – to be used with E5601B and other VNAs
Five (5) blank boards (0402-1206)
DC Bias Adapter
Two (2) PDN cables 12” BNC-SMA
One (1) Molex 4-pin cable *